drunk driver disappeared. a lot of people are keeping a nervous eye on a creek which has over need, stay with us. -- which has overflowed, stay with us. well, well, well. growing up, we didn't have u-verse. we couldn't record four shows at the same time. in my day, you were lucky if you could record two shows. and if mom was recording her dumb show and dad was recording his dumb show then, by george, that's all we watched. and we liked it! today's kids got it so good.

[ male announcer ] get u-verse tv with a total home dvr included free for life. only $29 a month for six months. rethink possible. search and rescue teams

scouring this marin county creek this morning looking for a man who jumped into the water and went missing. why he was wanted by police. >> reporter: we're live in palo alto where there was major flooding in the area last night. we'll show you what it looked like and what authorities are still concerned about. a holiday labor dispute. why nurses are spending this christmas eve walking the picket line. and how a popular san francisco restaurant is making this a happier holiday season. "mornings on 2" starts right now. good morning, everybody. welcome to "mornings on 2." i'm brian flores. dave clark is off today. >> yes, he is. >> good morning. i'm pam cook. tori campbell is also off. it's monday, december 24th. we're following developing news out of marin county this morning where search-and-rescue teams are about to search for a

missing man. alex savidge has more on how a traffic stop turned into a much larger situation. alex? >> reporter: well, now that the sun is coming up, the team is going to resume searching for this team, somewhere in the cordova creek. the man is suspected of drunk driving and ran from officers during a traffic stop. it happened earlier in the morning. he jumped into the creek in an area where the water is moving very quickly. authorities put a boat in the water right away to search the bas ofthe creek but there was no sign of the man. this all began after midnight when ross police made a dui stop on the man's car near sir francis drake and college. but during the field sobriety test, this man took off running from officers. officers watched him go in the creek and eventually lost sight of him. >> they followed for about 100 yards trying to encourage the

person to come out of the swift water. he swam away from the officers. the officers followed him as far as they could until they couldn't anymore. >> reporter: now, the ross police chief said he isn't going to release the name of the missing man at this point but police are very concerned about his well being since the water is cold and the current, especially in the air area where he went in, is -- in the area where he went in, is swift. it's possible a dive team could be called in to search for him. but we understand the search- and-rescue team will pick up the search at 7:00, the chief said. we have not seen them yet. we'll monitor the situation. we're live in green brain -- greenbrae this morning, alex savidge, ktvu channel 2 news. >> thank you, alex. rising creek waters flooded roadways an temporarily closed

highway 101. it happened on the peninsula in a creek that overflowed its banks. janine de la vega is live at the creek to show us some of the damage. >> reporter: well, we're right here on the border of palo alto and east palo alto. this is highway 101 and the creek flows right underneath it and the water was so high last night that it was flashing up over and onto the freeway. this is video of that same area of what it looked like last night. water was flooding on 101, north of the embarcadero. the highway patrol was helping motorists with traffic breaks. the creek crested at university avenue and woodland. the water spilled over and into the entrance of the four seasons hotel. fire officials say even though there was not massive damage, they remain worried about the creek. >> we need to work on these holes in this levy.

can't leave it like this especially since we're early in the winter and this is the second significant storm and we were feeling the first one was gonna overbank and this time it did. >> reporter: residents who live near the creek were monitoring the levels and had sandbags ready. they were -- had 36 people who voluntarily evacuated their homes and used an emergency shelter, the ymca in east palo alto. as of 11:45 last night, those people left to go home. back out here live, i want to show you the other side of the creek of what it looks like. the water is at 5.4 feet. that's about 10 feet lower than last night. it came up really high, up to where you see those sandbags. it was very close to cresting. but a different story this morning. just wet roads, and with the rain, without having any rain here it looks like we're

getting quite a break. janine de la vega, ktvu channel 2 news. also happening right now, thousands of nurses in the bay area are walking off the job. close to 5,000 nurses at nine bay area hospitals plan to hold a one-day strike. nurses say they are striking over striking levels, health benefits and sake days. also, something very nice is happening at lefty o'doul's bar and restaurant in san francisco. it's holding its annual christmas eve toy drive. this is new video in from this morning and the collections going on. a number of people out there, and drop can drop off toys and take pictures with santa and see the giants' world series trophy. and if you can't make it there, they will take your donation there. they hope to collect 15,000 toys. and glide memorial church is just starting to serve it's

christmas eve breakfast and prime rib is on the lunch menu. the house of prime rib denated a on it of prime -- donated a ton of prime rib for the lunch. today is the last day of st. anthony's foundation curbside drive. they are hoping to feed 4,000 people tomorrow. services start at 8:00 a.m. tara, one of our tweeters is up watching us here on had christmas eve. evelyn ortiz, she always sends us good traffic information. >> thank you, evelyn. we have a lot of loyal viewers. that's always welcomed. 80 at the -- 80 westbound we have debris in the road. a live at 101 shows traffic is

moving nicely in both directions on the left-hand side of your screen and as you mcgraw way to the airport -- make your way to the airport. look at this. the toll plaza, you never see the toll plaza like this. no delays into san francisco. finally, down. >> the south bay, 237. we normally see quite a bit of backup on the westbound direction on the right towards sunnyvale. right now, no delays. 7:08. here's rosemary. and that clear sky, a sight for sore eyes giving you more here over the bay and the city of -- and the city of next. a few high clouds overhead. partly cloudy in some cases. mostly cloudy san jose. mostly clear as you can see over the bay bridge. the pacific satellite view, that storm from sunday, out of here. we do remain with showers just over the sierra through the morning hours as well as fog. if you do plan on making that commute later in the day, that will be your better bet.

dry today by later, wet. we do continue with the flood watch over parts of the sonoma bay, guerneville, you should experience some minor flooding in and around the area. mill road, as well as areas in montyrio. the river continues to rise and will so until about 11:00, expected to crest at 30.9 feet within monsterred stage. for the rest of us, we're dry. partly cloudy, mostly clear for today. cool, very cool in some cases. low to mid-30s in areas right around the north bay valley locations. widespread 40s around the bay area and then as we get into the noontime feeling better. low to mid-50s. low to mid-50s expected for your afternoon. if you are getting outdoors

early this morning, be prepared for the chilly weather and then we will remain cool, partly cloudy and calm by the afternoon. chilly overnight lows and cool afternoon highs. i will have a time line on that rain for you -- coming up. we've been watching the north bay as well. a flood warning for the napa river has been canceled. the river did rise more than a foot above flood stage last night. the water started to level off. many rural records were closed. in forestville, rain and high winds knocked a tree into a house and in cau taty, the -- ke ta ta, the -- ketate opened up a sinkhole. >> hopefully we have a break in the sinkhole and catch up and get our heads above the water and get a break and fix some of the problems that we do have out there. >> crews say it could take a

few days to fix the problems caused by the storm. the storm has knocked out power to tens of thousands of people in the bay area. pg&e is reporting more than a thousand homes and businesses are without power in the north bay. 18 in the south bay and 288 in the east bay. well, there there is a strict new alcohol policy taking effect in camp pendleton in the new year. and some in congress fear they may actually go over the fiscal cliff. where both sides are right now. ♪ you used the oven? boom ♪ [ male announcer ] pillsbury crescents. let the making begin. here's a better idea. pillsbury grands! flaky layers biscuits in just 15 minutes the light delicate layers add a layer of warmth to your next dinner. pillsbury grands biscuits

let the making begin.

good morning. a frigid start. 30s and 40s outside our door.

giving you a beautiful spot of union square. a great day too ice skate and maybe do some shopping. at least two firefighters have been shot while responding to a house fire in new york. it happened shortly before 6:00 eastern time near lake ontario. firefighters were shot as they arrived at the scene. one is said to be in satisfactory condition. >> the other's condition is unknown at this hour. firefighters are not fighting the fire right now because they are waiting for police to finish evacuating the area as they search for a shooter. the fire has now spread to other homes. the bickering continues a week away from the fiscal cliff. talks to try to prevent automatic tax hikes and spending cuts won't resume until thursday. andrew spencer has the very latest. >> reporter: some republican lawmakers says president obama wants the country to fall off the fiscal cliff. >> we were gonna go over the cliff before. we are gonna now because that's what the president wants.

>> reporter: house speaker john boehner failed to get enough vote for his plan b on thursday. that would have raised taxes on people making more than a million dollars a year. on friday, they left town with no deal. >> i've asked leaders of congress to work toward a package that prevent as tax hike on middle-class americans, protects unemployment insurance for 2 million americans and lays the groundwork for further work on both growth and deficit reduction. >> raising taxes could still be red ink as far as i can see and it would hurt jobs. >> reporter: some long-time lawmakers are dismayed by the perpetual gridlock. >> i feel it's more likely we'll go over the cliff than not and if we allow that to happen, it will be the most colossal consequential act of

irresponsible in a long time --er responsibility. >> reporter: president obama is in hawaii. he says he will cut his vacation short to try to hammer out a deal. the deadline a week away. >> if congress does not get anything done, then taxes will most likely go up for everyone. just about everyone on january 1st. unemployment benefits will also expire for many people. international envoy working to end syria's civil war worries won't be able to help. one man said bashar assad discussed possible steps forward but has made little progress because both sides seem to be more interested in fighting. authorities in india used violence to stop a week of rape

protests. armed police beat police with sticks. they are protesting the brutal rape of a woman on a bus. prime minister said the government would take tough action to prevent these crimes against women. 47-year-old joe price died on saturday from a noncombat injury. a military official says his death is being investigated as a suspected poll san jose a strict new policy goes into effect at camp pendleton. marines will be subject to random breathalyzer tests twice a year. .01% or higher, those who blow that will be refer to counseling. a single drink can produce a blood alcohol level of .01 --

.10%. richard adams died last monday at his holiday home after getting some kind of illness. he fought for bay rights after a marriage license he received in colorado was rejected. he was 65 years old. it appears that former george h.w. bush will spend christmas in the hospital. he's been in a houston hospital since last month getting treatment for bronchitis. he's been getting therapy and they are optimistic he will recover. nelson mandela is in the hospital. he's been hospitalized now for more than two weeks. he was diagnosed with a lung infection and had gallstone surge i have. he's responding to treatment and his condition has improved. a snowstorm could make for a white christmas on the east side. this is good news for kids who are home from school and skiers

and boarders. but it's creating headaches for holiday travelers. high winds would delay flights and they could get a few more inches. bay area officials don't want you burning wood in your fire place. no spare the air is in effect. but there's concern that the pollution could be built up. 7:19 now. the rain-soaked bay area will get a small break after a very stormy weekend but not for long. rosemary orozco will tell us when the rain is expected to return. if you lost your home to foreclosure, you may be entitled to some money. the settlement that's been divvied up. and here's a look at the macarthur maze. we'll tell you what the bay bridge toll plaza is looking like -- coming up.

welcome back to the ktvu channel 2 morning news and "mornings on 2." it's now 7:21. pg&e is offering $550 million in the deadly san bruno explosion. the san francisco chronicle reports the money would pay for state regulatory charges. but the utility will not admit to safety breaches, fearing a criminal charge. so gust and consumer groups turned down the deal. eight people died. 38 homes were destroyed in the s&p 28th explosion -- september 28th explosion. facebook is being accused of dodging taxes. accounts filed by the company in ireland this week indicate that the social media giant fun. ed millions of dollars -- funneled millions of dollars into an irish sister company in 2011 and was transferred to the cayman islands. experts say that's known as a double irish where large royalty payments are moved from international subsidiaries in order to pay lower taxes. in a new high school in san jose, it will require students to earn their tuition.

the school was recently approved and will open in 2014. students will attend classes four days a week and work one day a week. the money they earn will go toward tuition which averages about $2,000 a year. this comes from low-income families an 80% attend. there are currently 25 schools of these across the country. homeowners who were for closed on any time in 2009, 2010 and 2011 can ask for an independent foreclosure review. they must file the claim before the end of the year and another program with a deadline of january 18th could get them some money. both programs are part of national settlements of bankers who didn't follow the laws. tara, said the incident in san francisco is cleared. >> those bricks on 80 near the fremont street offramp have been cleared. it's smooth sailing around the

city. we want to show you that we do have a fallen tree here and the chp is advising caution here. highway 35 at skyline boulevard, be aware of it. it's blocking the roadway. up next, we have a look at the bay bridge toll plaza where it's smooth sailing into the city. no delays to report. at the golden gate bridge, it's sort of the same story. if we take a live look at that, you can see it was a little bit wet out there earlier but now things are drying up quickly. and in san mateo, we can take a look at the san mateo bridge. you can see that traffic is flowing well into foster city on the right-hand side of your screen. 7:24. here's rosemary. >> all right. partly sunny to mostly cloudy skies happening outside our door. a good-looking start to the day. here is a beautiful shot. look at this. sunrise rose about four minutes ago. die and -- dry and cool for today. we'll be clouding up by tonight and then tomorrow we look at the next storm moving in by the afternoon. take a look at this.

we get through today, nice, quiet no trouble. tomorrow morning, you join us here, we're mostly cloudy. rain on the way about 2:00, 3:00. shifts over the heart of the bay area and down into the south bay by 4:00 and then it is just a steady rain into the early-evening hours breaking away for scattered showers for tuesday night, christmas night scattered showers, wednesday morning scattered showers. drying out thursday, friday and into the weekend. overnight lows in the mid- to upper 30s. and afternoon highs in the 50s. it's a chilly start to the morning. we'll have another look around -- coming up. a new push against aggressive panhandlers. >> reporter: we're watching the holiday travel rush at the bay area's airports and while the weather may be cooperating, the lines inside are pretty long. and a christmas spectacular in san diego. we'll tell you what makes this

display unique. i got this. you're so sweet. you got this, right? i do got this. let us get everything off the shelf, and to your home.

sofa... desk... you know what? why don't you go get some frozen yogurt. i got this. you're so sweet. you got this, right? i do got this. let us get everything off the shelf, and to your home.

welcome back to "mornings on 2." well, if you are heading to the airport today, it may be a good idea to give yourself extra time. ktvu channel 2 reporter, ail little rasmus is live at sfo where we're -- allie rasmus is live at sfo where we're already seeing big lines there. >> reporter: that's right. the good news first. if you are traveling out of

sfo, oakland or san jose, we checked with all three, there are no delays you have to worry about and no cancellations. that's the good news. what may give you a headache today, are the lines. it's very busy here at terminal 2 at san francisco international airport. you can see all of the cars pulling up. we've seen a steady stream of passengers unloading checking into the terminal. it's especially inside the terminal. this is video of the security line in terminal 2 from about 45 minutes ago. there were hundreds of people waiting to pass through and the line snaked all the way out into the middle of the terminal. today is one of the busiest travel days of the holiday season for this airport with 120,000 people expected to pass through sfo today alone and some people we talked to were surprised to see it so crowded here on christmas eve. others said it made more sense for them to fly out today. >> i heard it was very busy, yeah. >> i picked the 24th because it was like $250 less than what was on saturday and what was on

-- or sunday and tuesday. it was obviously, a good choice to do it. >> reporter: now, again, there are no delays here at sfo and we also checked with oakland and san jose airports. they also don't have any delays you have to worry about. if you are traveling today, give yourself some extra time. because as you saw -- [no audio] >> reporter: the parking space here -- situation here, there's still parking in the domestic garage and the international garage bau the -- but the main one is full. so keep that in mind if you plan to head out for the holidays. allie rasmus, ktvu channel 2 news. well, they've been dreaming of a white christmas in the sear but for many trying to get to and -- in the sierra but for many trying to get there, it's been a nightmare. plows are working to try to keep the roads clear.

the highways have been shut down several times after the roads became too dangerous and that left many people stranded for several hours. >> this is what it's all about, being together and getting through it. we'll all get home and then we'll have these awesome memories. [laughter] >> i love that they can laugh about that. [laughter] >> more snow is expected to fall in the sierra today but own lay small amount. so if you do need to make the trip up the mountain, take the four-whole drive other bring the chains. in squaw valley, two people are recovering after getting caught in an avalanche. three snowboarders triggered the avalanche before 10:00 a.m. yesterday. they were treated for minor injuries. the squaw valley fire department says it deployed seven dogs to search for additional victims. but everybody was accounted for about an hour ago. we're continuing to follow breaking news out of webster, new york, where two firefighters have died while

being shot after responding to a fire. two additional have been sent to the hospital for gunshot wounds. firefighters are waiting for police to evacuate the neighborhood before they can fight the fire. authorities have not released information about the shooter or the circumstances that led up to the shoots being fired. meanwhile, state highway 84 has reopened in san mateo county, the road was shut down for a time last night in la honda due to rocks and a fire line. highway 84 is back open after being shut down due to flooding and mud slides caused by clogged storm drains. there's still time to mail off those last-minute packages. bay area post offices will be open today but most will close early. the post office says most locations will close at noon. but mail delivery will be unaffected. post offices will be closed tomorrow and new year's day? the 49ers could not clinch the title in settle. instead, they were routed by

the seahawks. seattle led in the first quarter on this touchdown by marshawn lynch. epscoreed the first two -- he scored the first two touchdowns and then david akers' field goal kick was blocked. the ball was run back for another touchdown. the 49ers lost, 42-13 and drop to the third seed in the nfc. they will not have a first- round bye if the packers win. cam newton on put the panthers on the board early. carson palmer had to leave the first game in the first quarter after a hard hit by hardy. and that led to drama. tommy kelly sacks newton and newton appears to kick kelly off home. he sold the associated press, "we're gonna take our guy hout, we're gonna -- out, we're gonna take your gu out."

well, preparations are in gear for the kraft bowl. the bowl game sponsors will donate three meals to three san francisco charities for each ticket sold. the game is this saturday at at&t park. well, a problem with panhandlers in a part of san francisco has motivated businesses to crack down. many believe the panhandles are being too -- are being too bushy -- too pushy in union square. so they are hoping to find a solution and they've talked -- they have talked to hundreds of shoppers and tourists and then they will plan to talk to the panhandles themselves. muni is now testing the apps they developed. one of the most promising features a map showing the realtime location of buses and trains to passengers. for now it's being tried out at the va necessary -- van ness

station. the average for gas, $3.25 a gallon nationally. bay area is the highest, 3.60. it's about 10 cents cheaper in oakland, san jose and santa rosa and that's down almost $1.0 from the record set in october -- 1.20 from the record set in october. more than 92,000 people rode the ferry from larkspur to at&t park this past championship season. this is the third straight year the forry service has had 90,000 riders or more. back in 2009, before the giants won the 2010 world series, only 60,000 people rode the giants' ferry. 7:35. i would think a lot of people will head out to the malls today. last day of shopping could affect traffic this morning. tara is in for sal, especially since we had so much rain yesterday. >> aren't you glad you don't have to drive the weather we had yesterday? >> yeah. i was definitely hoping i

didn't have that drive. >> i was so happy. it was just a pelting. the rain was against the window pane and it was windy. a lot of folks were out there. you have to take it easy and make sure you don't spin out. we've had a few of those this morning. so be careful out there. right now we can see highway 4, the traffic on the bottom of your screen, westbound. as you drive to concord and 680, we don't have any delays. 880 near the coliseum, still story. traffic on the right-hand side downtown oakland and on the left, hayward. 280 northbound, traffic on the bottom portion of your screen as you drive towards santa clara. no delays to speak of. 7:36. let's check in with rosemary. good morning to to you. for the first time -- to you. for the first time in day, fair weather in the forecast. beautiful sunrise. we've got mostly cloudy skies over most of the bay area down around san jose and the

southern portions of the peninsula we're seeing partly to mostly cloudy skies. a little bit of residual moisture. it will be short-lived take advantage of it. i'm already tracking this next system it will come in time for christmas day. most of us drying out enjoying a nice day for monday, we do continue to monitor the russian river because it is at monitor stage. it will continue to rise for the next few hours. expected to crest around 30.9 feet. not expected to hit flood stage. we're looking at minor flooding. you can expect it in areas around sonoma county. right along the river. in guerneville, the lower edge of mill street and then for montyrio, it's the old highway you may experience this. this will last for the morning hours and the national weather service is issuing this as a precautionary. mid-30s in santa rosa and napa. the big story is much chillier it is this morning.

anywhere from 10 to 15 colder in livermore. by about 10:00 or so we'll begin to thaw out. we'll feel good. the extended forecast, partly cloudy. we'll have an increase in clouds by tonight. tuesday the rain arrives by the afternoon. stays with us until tuesday night. a few scattered showers wednesday morning. cool afternoons. all in all a pretty good- looking forecast. we'll talk about how much rain i expect with this system -- coming up. there is a christmas spectacular in san diego. it's at one moment -- home. it features 35,000 lights. almost every inch of the home is dovered in -- coved in

electricity. they say their electricity -- covered in lights. they say their electricity bill in december is traditionally, $1,000. all of those who saw the achievement at the olympic and paralympic games were further inspired by the skill and tale work of our athletes. >> she also talked about the duke and duchess of cambridge who are expecting their first baby. it's the first year the message will be aired in 3-d. time now, 7:39. girls and boys of the east bay are spreading holiday cheer with their singing voices. we're gonna have a look and a listen to the youth choir. plus -- why thousands of americans say they want piers

morgan deported. [ game announcer ] touchdown! and here comes the dunk. [ male announcer ] everyone loves to dunk. ♪ [ game announcer ] will he dunk it? yes, he will. [ male announcer ] mcdonald's tender, juicy chicken mcnuggets in creamy ranch and spicy buffalo sauce. just $4.99

for 20 of your favorite chicken mcnuggets. ♪ [ game announcer ] will he dunk it? yes, he will. [ male announcer ] more ways to love mcnuggets. ♪

taking a live look at the big board this morning. dow jones is down a little bit as expected. some worry us about the fiscal cliff as it gets closer. the nasdaq and s&p 500 are both down as well. markets close at 10:00 a.m. pacific time. if you still have christmas shopping to do, brian, you're not alone. you will be out there with a few others. a new survey shows 10% of all americans say they will still be in the malls today, christmas eve. some shoppers say they like the energy of shopping right up until the last minute. others say they hate the crowds, but they just couldn't get out to the stores any

sooner. and it turns out shoes are one of the most popular gifts this holiday season. shoppers say shoes are one gift they know will be used and the sizes are unlikely to change. footwear ranks fing. they weren't in the top ten last year. the prelude to the lord of the rings movie is still the most popular movie in the u.s. >> the tiny hobbit is running circles around some of the biggest hollywood names. the hobbit and unexpected journey remains number one. this is 40, rise to the gardens and lincoln rounded out the top five. our photojournalist

introduces us to one choir who has been spreading cher for generations -- clear for generations. >> it's kind of a lank to me. >> music is everything to me -- language to me. >> music is everything to me. >> music is such a healing thing. ♪ >> my father, perry phillips, was the choir director here. started at the concert 43 years ago. ♪ >> as a way for the wildfire to present deliver carols -- as a way for the choir to deliver carols to the public. >> when i died, i was asked if i would continue to produce it. my father did 21 years an i've

done 20. people -- and i've done 20. people look forward to it and it starts the season. >> it's a way to showcase some of the great talent in our own community right here in our backyard. >> it's always excellent to come together to a community and to sing with all different religions and all different types of music. it's really good. ♪ >> even if you speak different lanks -- lanks, lank -- languages. >> and their friends come, too. it's an opportunity to see our cathedral. >> it's amazing. >> the first time i saw it, it was just incredible. it's very ornate and decorative. >> i constantly get the feedback from people that say how much they appreciate it and

that 2 really -- it's -- it's become a tradition. it gets their season started. it's a gift. it's a gift to give back. >> i always get a little emotional. i get choked up and i just see that it is -- i'm pleased it's still continued sort of in his spirit. there's something magical about playing at christmas concerts. >> i think it's good to listen to that and hear that. >> it's awesome to get the holiday season with songs. >> you can see this story and more from our photojournalist on our special that airs tomorrow right near at noon and 5:30. you can watch it at 7:30 on

kicu tv36. california saved nearly $250 million by requiring state lawmakers to drive their own cars. legislators are reimbursed for the miles they drive on official business only. until last december, the state payed to lease cars for them. the sacramento bereports the savings came because lawmakers drove several miles than they had in the past and some did not ask to be reimbursed at all. idaho senator is apologizing to his family and constituents after being stopped for driving under the influence. he was stopped in virginia, outside of washington, d.c. yesterday. he failed the field sobriety test. crapo will deal with this and he was named as bishop to the mormon church three years ago

and the mormon church forbids alcohol use. wayne la pierre said any new laws will not prevent gun violence in the future. he says people think it's crazy to have armed people at the schools but it will feel keep -- keep people safe. rallies continue across the nation calling for stricter gun violation. this is the brooklyn bridge. people held a march for those at sandy hook elementary. they are hoping their message is heard at the nation's dan tal. more than 30,000 people have called a petition for piers morgan to be deported. this started after he called a man unbelievably stupid after the shooting. he said if i do get deported for wanting few gun murderers,

many continues will have me. how is the traffic, tara? >> we should be returning back to normal. on the peninsula, skyline boulevard at sweat road. we have a fallen tree brocking the rad by -- blocking the roadway here. it will take a while to clear. they have to bring the wood chipper in. highway 237, traffic westbound, normally backed up at sunnyvale. but this christmas eve day we're luckily experiencing no problems. on the bay bridge, traffic is looking great into san francisco right now. 7:49. let's head over to rosemary. actually, we'll take it over from here. changes could be coming to a city known for its high crime. why richmond says other cities are starting to surpass their crime rate.

and why the dungeonness -- the dunges in crab season -- dungeness crab season has been pushed. [ laughter ] [ girl ] wow, you guys have it easy.

i wish i had u-verse when i was your age. in my day, we didn't have these fancy wireless receivers. blah blah blah. if i had a sleepover, i couldn't just move the tv into the playroom. no. we had to watch movies in the den because that's where the tv outlet was. and if dad was snoring on the couch, we muscled through it. is she for real? your generation has it made. [ male announcer ] the wireless receiver only from at&t u-verse. get u-verse tv for $29 a month for six months. rethink possible.

welcome back. oakland, san jose and san jose are deeing with the number of rising -- are dealing with the number of rising homicides, police in richmond say they've seen a big decrease in the number of homicides. police say 18 people have been killed in the city so far this year which is down from 45 three years ago. many people are crediting law enforcement and a community effort to stop the violence. state and local law enforcement are cracking down on drunk drivers in holiday see -- this holiday season.

>> a lot of people get involved in collisions because they may have a little bit of alcohol on board and they are driving way over the speed limit. >> so for this year, there have been 15 fatal crashes ash the state. that's five times as high as last year at this point. but the chp says total deaths related to drunk driver has steadily been dropping in california since the last few years. commercial crab fishermen will have to wait a few more weeks to set their traps. for the third time, the crab season has been delayed off mendocino, humboldt and del norte counties. the see want os lightningly set to open on -- season was originally set to open on december 31st. it cannot be delayed beyond january 15th. the last week for the planner to yum. at he wipe ginning of the -- planner to yum. at the beginning of the --

planetarium. they are getting ready to move and the new location is scheduled to open up april 15th. coming up -- let's go to tara. she's filling in for sal. is something going on on the bay bridge? >> reporter: we have a traffic hazard. it's right in the middle there. it was causing some delays. you can see a little bit of yellow there as you head toward the oakland area. up next, we have a look at highway 24. this is la fayette. you can see traffic on the right hand side of why urscreen there. of your screen there. as we drive to the caldecott tunnel, we're not experiencing any delay us. 7:54. here's rosemary. a good-looking day underway. dry for today. we'll be cool for the afternoon and this dry spell going to be very brief. giving you a look at the bay

bridge and into the city. no wind out there, very calm. you won't have any trouble getting into the bridge. the rain has pulled to the east leaving us with partly cloudy skies and we're cool this morning. by tonight, mostly cloudy and by christmas day, afternoon rain in the forecast. it looks like steady rain between about noon, perhaps 2:00 and 5:00. rain amounts anywhere from .25 to 1 inch. a weak storm. no wind advisories. all in all, we'll be wet but not as bad as we saw on sunday. 35 degrees right now in santa rosa as well as napa. a chilly start. upper 30s in fairfield as well as livermore, low to mid-40s around most of the bay area for the afternoon. partly cloudy with temperatures reaching into the low to mid- 50s. there is your extended forecast. dry ta, get out there and enjoy it. by tomorrow, mostly cloudy, rain developing into the afternoon. scattered showers through the morning hours and then we break away to a longer dry spell. thursday, friday and into the weekend. oakland lows in the 30s.

afternoon highs in the mid-50s. >> looking forward to that. thousands of bay area nurses are walking off the job. the reason they plan to strike for christmas eve. and authorities are set to resume their search shortly for a man who went missing in this ma are council -- marin county creek. >> we're live in palo alto where there was major flooding in some areas. we'll tell you what it looked like and what people are doing this morning to prepare.

good morning. welcome back. i'm pam cook. >> i'm bribe flores. dave -- i'm brian flores. dave and tori are off today of the it's december 24th. we're following developing news out of marin county where authorities are looking for a man who went missing overnight. alex savidge is live with more on that traffic stop and how it turned into a much larger situation. alex? >> reporter: well, good morning. no activity out here just yet but we do expect that shortly the marin county search and rescue team will resume the search in the area. they are looking into a man who jumped into core da ma terra --

corte madera creek overnight. this man is suspected of drunk driving and actually ran away from officers during a traffic stop. authorities put a boat in the water right away to search for him in and around the creek but any came up empty. that search went on for several hours before it was put on hold until 4:00 this morning. everything began just after midnight when ross police made a dui stop on the man's car near sir fran kiss drake and college. but during the sobriety test, the man took off returning. officers watched him run away. he jumped in the creek. police say he swam away. >> we're very concerned for his safety. the current is strong and we're worried he could have drowned. >> reporter: now, obviously, lice very concerned about the man's well being because the water is cold and the current is swift in this area.

it's possible the chief says that a dive team could be pulled out here to search for the man under water. but we do expect things will pick back up shortly. so far no activity, i have calls into ross police trying to figure out where and when this search and rescue effort will continue out here in marin county. live in greenbrae, alex savidge ktvu channel 2 news. police are investigating a fatal shooting. a man was shot at market. police don't know what led up to the shooting. floodening in the creeks not only shut down 101 yesterday, it prompted people to evacuate their neighborhoods. ktvu's channel 2 reporter janine de la vega is live with how the neighborhoods are looking today. janine? >> reporter: well, the neighborhoods are drying out. you know, we moved in the last hour to another area of palo

alto. we're knee chosser street. they put up traffic tape near the creek. they didn't want anyone coming up here last night. they were worried about cresting. it didn't. people are still worried. you can see people have their sandbags out and ready. this is video taken last night of the creek near bayshore road. the water level rose to 15.5 neat and nearly crested at this bridge. it did crest at university avenue in woodland. the where the spilled over -- the water spilled over to the four seasons hotel. residents were monitor egg the water. we found one homeowner filling up sandbags because he wanted to be prepared. >> well, i didn't have enough sand backs to cover things. i've been procrastinating and i'm trying to catch up with getting more prepared because i think it's gonna continue for a

while. >> reporter: this is what the southbound lanes of highway 101 look like just north of embarcadero. art from the creek was flooding the roadway. the chp had to come and help by doing traffic breaks. we'll seen several public work crews driving around surveying the bridges and creek area. back out here live, i do want to mention, there were 36 people who evacuated volunteer land's they used -- you have -- who evacuated voluntarily. they've been picking up sandbags. there's a big mound of sand you might see there. residents are picking those up. they want to be prepared. the water level at the creek has definitely receded but they still have concerns because they know more rain is on its way this week. reporting live from palo alto, janine de la vega, ktvu channel

2 news. the holiday travel rush is underway at san francisco international airport. right now, there are no significant delays to report. but you -- but you can see long lines already starting to form at security. 120,000 people -- people are expected at sfo. allie rasmus has been out there since 4:30 this morning. she'll have a live report coming up at 8:30. 8:03. happening now. thousands of nurses in the bay area are walking off the job. close to 5,000 nurses at nine bay area hospitals plan to hold a one-day strike. nurses say they are striking over staffing levels, health benefits and sick days. happening right now as well. lefty o'doul's in san francisco is holding its annual christmas eve toy drive. this is new video from the toy collection. police will deliver the toys tomorrow morning but first they need your help. >> our goal is to get 15,000 toys because we heard there's

15,000 forgotten kids. if they wake up without a toy torm, it's not gonna be a very happy day for them. >> people dropping off toys can get their pictures taken -- get their cture taken with santa or the giants' world series trophy. glide memorial will be searching special holiday meals today. breakfast is being served root now. lunch will be -- right now. lunch will be prime rib. first-time volunteer says he's more than happy to help. >> when i just sit back and watch the people and eat a good, hearty meal, it just makes my heart warm. you know what i mean? >> that's nice. the owner of the house of prime rib donates to glide memorial -- glide memorial every

holiday. said is the last day for -- today is the last day for st. anthony's curbside. donations are being collected on golden gate near leavenworth. held over there. no rain to talk about today. people probably heading out to the mall. let's go to tara. >> we just got some video in in the oakland area. it's in the piedmont avenue area near sky line. if you -- dash if you can take a look at that. you can see the hillside gave way. there's a lot of rocks and tree branches. that sort of thing. so definitely take it easy and that area -- in that area if you need to get through. luckily, it's more of a remote area. it's piedmont area. be careful. we have a look at the bay bridge toll plaza. you can see traffic flowing nicely into san francisco at this hour. and last but not least the san mateo bridge, you can see traffic on the right-hand side there as you make your way into

foster city. also looking good. pretty sunny out there. let's check in with rosemary. >> reporter: all smiles about that sunshine. what a gorgeous view over the oakland estuary and we've got blue skies. partly cloudy over parts of the bay area. partly sunny in some areas, right around san jose. southern portions of the peninsula. a little bit of moisture lingering. a little bit of patchy fog. you will find visibility down. santa rosa and napa reporting visibility down a quarter mile. take it easy. also without that cloud cover this morning, we're anywhere from 5 to 15 degrees colder than where we have been in recent days. take a look at those -- we will take a look at those numbers in just a moment. today, mostly sunny and dry. this will approach the area. our dry weather will be short- lived. let's enjoy. we're dealing with the aftermath of yesterday's storm and the russian river continuing to rise. healdsburg, no problem. it's already dropping off the

levels there. but guerneville continues to rise in and around the area along the russian river. 30.9 feet is what we're looking at. right now it sits around 30 feet or so. we'll not -- it will not  actually feet flood stage but we are looking at a flood watch as a precaution for guerneville and montyrio. along the russian river be prepared. the rest of us, it's the chilly weather. we're dealing with 30s in the north bay. 40s around the bay area. 45 in mountain view. 40 in livermore and concord. ure temperatures are beginning to -- tower temperatures are beginning to turn around. into the -- our temperatures are beginning to turn around. 37 napa, 37 in novato. mostly sunny skies. in addition to that chilly start a little bit of patchy fog but for the afternoon, we will be dry, we will be cool. we'll have that sunshine. here is a look at what you can

expect for area. 53 in novato. 53 for berkeley. 54 in oakland. low 50s for the coastline. 54 in san francisco. going to be outdoors doing some shopping. you are in good shape. 55 san jose. 55 morgan hill. maybe you have a holiday party to get to. there's the extended forecast. partly cloudy turning mostly cloudy tonight. we have rain in the forecast. and then we're die -- we're drying out as we get into thursday and farther along with partly to mostly cloudy skies. there was some flooding concerns but in the north bay a flood warning for the napa river has been canceled. the the river rose more than a foot above flood stage last night. many rural roads were closed by high water yesterday. a tree was knocked on a house. >> hopefully, we have a little break in the storm.

we can catch up get our heads above the water and get a break and fix some of the problems this we do have out there. >> road and utility crews say it could take a few days to fix all of the problems caused by the storm. the storm has knocked out power to thousands people. right now pg&e is reporting more than 1,000 homes and businesses are still without power up in the north bay. 18 are in the dark in the south bay. 517 lost power in the peninsula. 288 in the east bay. all right. well, an american adviser was shot and killed in afghanistan. we're continuing to follow the developing news in rochester, new york where two firefighters were shot and killed responding to a fire. [ boy 1 ] hey! that's the last crescent.

oh, did you want it? yea we'll split it.

[ female announcer ] made fresh, so light, buttery and flakey. that's half that's not half! guys, i have more! thanks mom [ female announcer ] pillsbury crescents. let the making begin aunt sally's singing again. it's a tradition, honey. [ singing christmas carols ] mmmm. [ female announcer ] make new traditions with pillsbury grands! cinnamon rolls. i'm going to dream about that steak. i'm going to dream about that tiramisu. what a night, huh? but, um, can the test drive be over now? head back to the dealership? [ male announcer ] it's practically yours. but we still need your signature. volkswagen sign then drive is back.

and it's never been easier to get a passat. that's the power of german engineering. get $0 down, $0 due at signing, $0 deposit, and $0 first month's payment on any new volkswagen. visit vwdealer.com today. welcome back. good morning to you. temperatures rising in the low to mid-50s for your afternoon under mostly sunny skies. time now is 8:12. welcome back to "mornings on 2." we're continuing to follow developing news out of webster, new york this morning, where two firefighters have died after being shot while responding to a fire. two more firefighters have been rushed to the hospital. police have evacuated the entire neighborhood and s.w.a.t. teams have moved in to search for the shooter. at least three homes and a car have burned. in afghanistan, authorities say an afghan policewoman shot and killed an american security adviser.

it happened inside kabul's heavily-guard the police headquarters. the shooting appears to be an insider attack. authorities say this was the first such attack by a woman. >> the perpetrator is in custody of the afghan authorities. she was dressed as a member of the afghan uniform police. >> about 60 foreigners working in afghanistan have been killed by afghan soldiers or police this year. the international aun vary working to -- envoy working to end syria's war worries he cannot help. he says he and president assad discussed possible steps forward but he's made little progress because more sides appear more interested in fighting than talking. his visit comes after they say an american investigate lled mer than 100 people -- activist killed more than 100 people. authorities caused

protesters in india. the demonstrators were protesting against the brutal rape of a woman on a bus. the prime minister says the government would take tough action to prevent crimes -- against woman. a commander of an elite navy s.e.a.l. has died. he died due to a noncombat injury. they are investigating his death as a possible suicide. a strict new alcohol policy goes into effect in the new year at camp pendleton. marines will be subject to random breathalyzer tests twice a year. marines with a blood alcohol lel of .01% or higher will be refer for counseling. a single level can produce a blood alcohol level of .10%. a man who pushed for same- sex marriage has died. richard adams died last monday

at his holiday home -- hollywood home after getting some kind of illness. he was approved for a marriage license in 1985 but it was later rejected. he was 65. ty appears that -- it appears that former president bush will be spending christmas in the hospital for bronchitis. they are optimistic he will make a full recovery. nelson mandela is also in the hospital still hot. he's been hospitalized now for her than two weeks. he was diagnosed with a lung infection and also had gallstone surgery. hospital officials say he is responding to treatment and his condition has improved. well, the bickering conditions a week away from thefry. talks tried to prevent

automatic tax hikes, they won't resume until monday. here's more. >> reporter: some say prop wants the country to call off the fiscal cliff. >> we were gonna go off before, we will now. the president wants that. you cannot negotiate with someone who doesn't want to negotiate. >> reporter: house speaker john boehner failed to get -- failed to get enough votes for his plan b that would have raised taxes on those earning a million or more a year. they each made a parting pitch after no deal was made. >> i've asked congress to work on a package that will prevent taxes on middle-class americans, protects unemployment insurance for 2 million americans and lays the groundwork for further work on both growth and deficit reduction. >> reporter: the partisan victory has put the victory on the brink of a potential economic crisis. some long time lawmakers are displayed by the potential gridlock. >> it's the first time i feel

it's more likely we'll go over the cliff and not. and if we allow that to happen, it will be the most colossal consequential act of congressional irresponsibility in a long time. >> president obama is in hawaii. he says he will cut his vacation short to try to hammer out a deal in congress. the deadline is now a week away. >> that was andrew spencer reporting. if congress fails to reach an agreement, income tax rates will go up for just about everybody on january 1st. unemployment benefits will be cut off for many as well. according to the sacramento bee, an investigation began after the investigates -- deaths of three pain surgery patients. the university of -- three brain surgery patients. the university says the hospital remains hospital. federal officials are

sending out warnings to hundreds of medical practices that they could have received dangerous doses of botox. they say the botox came from a canadian supplier, could be counterfeit and it's unsafe. the pot farm boom in northern california wilderness areas is ruining the environment. that's the los angeles time report. scientist the fined 5 -- sunshines fined 575. they discovered water systems that come -- that pulled millions in the creek. holiday vandals in orange county. what was done to two separate nativity scenes that has police launching an investigation. and get ready for more rain. ktvu meteorologist, rosemary orozco, will have your christmas week forecast. this is the 280 split.

we have traffic areas to report up in the hills. we'll tell you about a landslide -- coming up. oh, you have a keurig vue brewer? oh, it's great! now i can brew my coffee just the way i love it. how do you do that? well, inside the brewer, there's this train that's powerful enough to carry more coffee and fresh water to make coffee

that's stronger and bigger... and even hotter! actually, i just press this button. brew the coffee you love -- stronger, bigger, or hotter -- with the keurig vue.

welcome back to the "mornings on 2." time now is 8:21. an active volcano is actually being closely watched in chile. the country issued a red alert over the weekend after it start

to spew ash. it's on the border with argentina. so far, no mandatory evacuations have been ordered. we've now learned that police in huntington beach are investigating two separate cases of vandalism at nativity scenes. offensive graffiti was found in front of a house and then down the street, similar graffiti as well as swastikas were found on a nativity scene outside of a catholic church. police would attend the church are saddened. >> we put out a nice display for our community and our parish community. it's really sad when someone wrecks it. police say -- >> police say they are investigating these as possible hate crimes. no suspects have been identified. according to a new report, the idea that suicides rise during the holidays is a myth. the cdc reports suicide rates are actually the lowest in december and that they normally peak in the spring and fall. suicides still remain a serious problem in our country, with

more than 36,000 people taking their lives each other. a chp officer was checked out of the hospital after a driver crashed into his patrol car. the chp says the officer was responding to a call on westbound 580 in san leandro yesterday. some cars were stuck in the mud. he was waiting for tow trucks to arrive. that's when another driver rear ended the patrol car. the officer suffered minor injuries. but fortunately no other injuries are reported. the giants are helping ferries reach high ridership rates. more than 92,000 people rode the ferry from larkspur to at&t park this past championship season. that is the third straight year the ferry service has had 90,000 riders or more. only 60,000 rode in 2009. 8:23. very dry out there today. but there's still issues with the storm this past weekend, especially mud slides. let's go to tara who is filling in for sal to talk a little bit about that. >> we had a mudslide in pinole. a couple of in the oakland hills. we have do video in the oakland

area, skyline near pinehurst. we can show you that there's quite a bit of debris in the street. there you go. some rocks, tree branches. also some roadway floyding up near the sonoma ways -- flooding up near the sonoma raceway. at the golden gate gate bridge. no problem. you can see that traffic is looking good. and the sun is looking better. and 280 down in san jose, we have traffic near race street exit. there you go. looking good in both directions. 8:24. let's check in with rosemary. is it gonna rain? >> we're done for the today. but it will be brief. enjoy the dry day. right now a little patchy fog over parts of the north bay locations. it's a little dense. visibility down to a quarter mile, giving you a look at san francisco. you see a few clouds right -- right there off the coastline. partly cloudy to mostly sunny over the spay. we'll be mostly sunny for the

afternoon. partly to mostly sunny around the region. partly sunny over the south bay. mostly sunny for the afternoon. it's now 9:00 tonight. we're mostly cloudy. we take up -- we wake up tomorrow morning, mostly cloudy. by noontime, scattered showers in the forecast, especially over the north bay. by 2:00, 3:00, it's steady over the north bay, sliding into the heart of the bay area by 4:00 and then into the south bay by 5:00. we are all getting wet right about dinnertime into christmas night. leaving us with scattered showers as well for wednesday morning. let's enjoy today. a little bit of pog out there this morning. a chilly start, mid- to upper 30s over parts of the north bay, we'll looking at 40s or feeling them. into the afternoon by about noontime, low to mid-50s and we'll be with those numbers into the second half of the day. tuesday that rain moves in, in time for christmas. a few scattered showers left on wednesday morning and then we're partly cloudy and dry into the weekend. brian? >> all right. not too bad. thank you. well, it's shaping up to be

a white christmas on the east coast. how almost a foot of snow is affecting holiday travel there. >> we're monitoring the last- minute holiday travel rush at bay area airportsle we'll have an update on the conditions -- coming up. and a winter wonderland causing a nightmare for drivers. coming up, we'll have a live report from colfax with a look at the road conditions this morning.

welcome back. it's beginning to look a lot like christmas at sfo. allie rasmus has more with the backups at security. >> reporter: we just checked the security line inside the terminal. it has thinned out a little

bit. taking a look at the curb, we're in the lull. most of the early-morning flights have already come and gun. earlier this morning, this is -- come and gone. this is what the line looked like inside terminal 2 this morning. there were hundreds of people waiting to get through. it's a sign that even though this is christmas eve this is supposed to be a busy travel day at sfo with 120,000 people traveling through today. some holiday shoppers said they came to the airport today armed with a strategy to beat the crowd. >> get here early, don't be stressed out, take our time and enjoy. >> i like to make sure i have my carry-ons ready, liquids in the baggy. have some magazines for fun. and chill out on the plane. >> reporter: even though the lines are pretty long, the good news is that the weather is cooperating here. there are no delays or cancellations to report at san francisco airport. we also checked with oakland

and san jose. they also don't have any delays. if you are traveling today, give yourself extra time because the lines could be very long as the days go on. we also checked with the duty manager. she said the main long-term packing garage is full but there's still parking available at the airport's two domestic garages and the international garage as well. allie rasmus, ktvu channel 2 news. >> thank you for the update. a strong storm system that dumped more than a foot of snow could make for a white christmas on the east coast. up to a foot of snow has already fallen in some parts of new york state. that's definitely good news for some kids who are home from school and skiers as well. but it's also creating headaches for some drivers. in squaw valley, two people are recovering after they got caught in an avalanche.

three snowboarders triggered it yesterday. they were treated for minor injuries. the squaw valley fire department said they deployed seven dogs to search for yardish nal victims but -- additional victims but everyone was accounted for. highway 84 in fremont is back open after being shut down due to flooding and mud slides caused by a clogged storm drain. there's still time to mail out those last-minute holiday packages. they won't get there by christmas day. the bay area post offices will be open today. most close early. the post office says most locations close at noon, mail delivery will be unaffected. post offices will be closed tomorrow for the christmas day holiday and also on new year's day. well, the 49ers could not clinch the title in seat. instead, they were just routed by the seahawks.

seattle got out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter on this touchdown by marshawn lip. he scored the first two touchdowns of the game. then in the second quarter, david akers' field goal attempt was blocked. they ran that back for a touchdown. the 49ers lost 42-13. they now drop to the third seed and won't have a first-round bye if the packers win this weekend. and cam newton put the panthers on the board early with this touchdown pass to steve smith. carson palmer had to leave the game in the first quarter after a very hard hit by greg hardy. the raiders tommy kelly sacked newton there. then newton appears to kick kelly off of him. $ly sold the associated press, you take our guy out -- kelly toll the associated press, if you take our -- told the associated press, if you take

our guy out we're gonna take your guy out. a problem with panhandlers in part of san francisco has motivated businesses to crack down. many believe the panhandles are being too -- panhandlers are being too pushy. so they are hoping to find a solution. that's according to the san francisco chronicle. the group has already talked to hundreds of shoppers and tour its. next it plans to interview the panhandlers themselves. 8:33 now. in san francisco, muni is getting free help designed for hack-a-thons. some have focused their skills to help muni with scheduling problems. one of the most promising apps features a map showing the realtime location of buses and

trains to passengers. for now it's being tried out at the van ness station. gas prices across the country are at their lowest levels in almost a year with the average for regular at 3.25 a gallon. gas is a bit more expensive in the bay area. san francisco has the highest average at 3.60. it's a dime cheaper in san jose, santa rosa. that's down almost 1.20 from the record in october. the giants are helping ferries reach high ridership rates. more than 92,000 people rode the forry from lark purr to at&t park this past championship season. this is the third straight year, they've had 90,000 riders or more. bay area air quality officials don't want you to burn wood in your fireplace today. no spare the air alert is in effect. there are concerns that wood smoke could cause pollution to build up. they want to prevent a spare the air alert from being called

on christmasdy. a new high school in san jose will require students to earn their tuition. it will open in 2014. students there will attend classes four days a week and work one day a week. the money they earn will go for their tuition which averages around $10,000 a year. students come from low income families and more than 80% attend colleges. they -- there are 20 of these colleges across the country. californians who lost their homes to foreclosure have a few days to file for a claim. they must file the claim before the end of the year. another program could get them money. that deadline is january 18th. these are part of national settlements against bankers who did not follow foreclosure laws. it's not a usual commute day. there are some problems and tara says there's a new traffic hazard in marin. 101 southbound at the onramp.

we have cars swerving dangerously because the four large potholes. so be careful until caltrans had put up signs. traffic on 8 -- on 80 westbound moving well into the maze. we have no backup at the bay bridge toll plaza. 880 near the oakland coliseum. same story. and 680 near the sunol grade. a little foggy there and hazy. but traffic other wise looking good. here's rosemary. good morning to you. just a good-looking start to the day. giving you a look out over the bay area. what a beautiful start. we do have partly to mostly sunny skies area. the south bay reporting sunny conditions and napa, patchy dense fog. visibility down to .25-mile. most of us enjoying more sunshine than we've seen in recent days. we do have residual trouble from creed's home -- storm. guerneville we continue to

watch right now. 30.2 feet expected to rise about 30.9. that's where it will rest later this morning -- this will crest later this morning. the national weather service continues with a flood watch, especially along the russian river area, montyrio as well as guerneville, you will find minor flooding. outside of that dry conditions in store. sunshine on tap. but it will be short-lived. take a look at this. i'm gonna back it up and show you about 4 houston miles, we have clouds beginning to push closer to the coast. it will be later tonight when we push mostly cloudy on the back edge of this is more rain in time for christmas day. so, yesterday's storm pushing on out of here. we have a nice dry day in store for you this afternoon. temperatures will be on the cool side, but not bad at all. we're not complaining about that. for tomorrow, by the afternoon, between noon and 2:00, the scattered showers will arrive, between 2:00 and 5:00 steady rain over the bay area. it will be a weaker storm.

we're not expecting the strong winds and rain totals will be anywhere from .25 to 1. 35 in santa rosa. 37 in napa. upper 30s, low 40s. fairfield, 39 for you. around the bay area, low to mid- to upper 40s. this is a lot chillier than we have been without the cloud cover. we don't have that blanket to insulate us. we're off to a cooler start but with the afternoon, feel feel -- we'll feel pretty good. early wednesday we'll remain with showers as well. but we're drying out by thursday and right now the model is pointing to a drier forecast through the weekend. back to you. >> thank you. the dream of a light christmas has come through in the sierra but not everyone is enjoying the snow. brian hickey is live from koufax where the weather has created major problems for some. i have friends stuck up there now. >> reporter: we've seen a lot of cars coming down the

mountain now. a lot of people escaping tahoe this morning just this time for the holiday. here's the conditions here in koufax. you can see it's very nice here. it stopped raining. the sky is clearing. we're seeing patches of blue but further up the mountain, you will find this on 80, still very snowy. train controls are on at niack. you will still need the chains and snow tires. we just talked to a group coming down from the sierra. they were literally stranded up there at lake level. they are on their way back to walnut creek. never got on the ski resorts and they are just glad to be out of there. >> the roads are -- they are doing work on it pretty heavily. there's places where there's still 4 inches of snow on the ground. it's not that fun to drive on with a big vehicle like this. >> reporter: but if you are willing to brave the conditions and get up there, tons of powder waiting for you. and two more feet in the

forecast. coming up on christmas day, evening. so wednesday, thursday, should be some pretty spectacular skiing and snowboarding in the sierra. but after yesterday's nightmare on the freeway, i think some people may be avoiding it for a while. brian hickey, back to -- brian hickey, back to you. >> some people probably went up for a little weekend and they will get up for christmas. what about the winds. i know some of the lifts close. what's the weather like up close. >> that was a huge issue but today i -- i think today will be an awesome day. the conditions have calmed down. i haven't seen really wind. i've not seen any blowing snow along the freeway. from a skier or snowboarder perspective, i think it will be an awesome day after a very blustery day. >> we know you have personal reasons to keep track of all of that. >> you are anxious to -- we are a anxious to head up. thank you for the update. >> i'm excited to be up there. >> yeah. well, pg&e offers a very

large sum for the san bruno disaster. but several groups are rejecting it. and facebook under fire this morning. why the company is being used of not paying all of its taxes. >> reporter: a search has just resumed here at this marin county creek for a man who jumped into the water overnight and went missing. we'll tell you why he was wanted by police when he went into the creek. [ laughter ] [ girl ] wow, you guys have it easy. i wish i had u-verse when i was your age.

in my day, we didn't have these fancy wireless receivers. blah blah blah. if i had a sleepover, i couldn't just move the tv into the playroom. no. we had to watch movies in the den because that's where the tv outlet was. and if dad was snoring on the couch, we muscled through it. is she for real? your generation has it made. [ male announcer ] the wireless receiver only from at&t u-verse. get u-verse tv for $29 a month for six months. rethink possible. oh, did you want it?

yea we'll split it. [ female announcer ] made fresh, so light, buttery and flakey. that's half that's not half! guys, i have more! thanks mom [ female announcer ] pillsbury crescents. let the making begin [ female announcer ] holiday cookies are a big job. everything has to be just right. perfection is in the details. ♪ get to holiday fun faster with pillsbury cookie dough.

bay bridge. dow jones down about 45 points -- welcome back. dow jones down about 45 points. yahoo has been named finance company of the year. we'll keep watching business for you. travelers on ka that that -- cathay pacific will receive the usual greetings on the airline. that's after they reached a new contract agreement. now, cathay pacific is known for its personal attention to travelers. so the cabin crews threatened to hold food, drinks and even their smile if a deal could not be reached. happening now -- lefty o'doul's bar and restaurant in san francisco is holing its

annual -- holds its annual toy drive. if you can't get down, they will pick up your donation anywhere in san francisco for free. and glide memorial church is searching a holiday breakfast. in a few hours, a special lunch will be served as well with prime rib as main -- as the main course. authorities in marin county are looking for a man who went missing overnight. alex savidge joins us now with more on what happened when the suspect jumped into a creek and where crews are searching -- are searching. alex? >> reporter: -- you can see a group walking along the banks looking for any sign of this man missing since this morning, mince about midnight. he was a suspected drunk driver according to police. he ran away from officers following a traffic spot and jumped into the creek in an area where the water is moving

quickly. just a short time ago we began to see marin county volunteers, some with a search dog we saw walking along the creek. one searcher said there are about 20 volunteers taking part in this effort this morning. everything began when ross police made a -- made a dui stop on the man's car but during the sobriety test, he ran away from officers. officers watched him go right in the creek and tried to get him to come back to shore. but police say he swam away. >> we're very concerned with the person's safety. the current is swift. we're worried that he could have drowned. >> reporter: at this point, police are not releasing the name of the missing man, although the chief said they do know who this man is. at this point, the search is back underway. one volunteer out here told me that the search team will be putting a back in the water eight had -- later on this

morning an it's possible a dive team will be brought out to search underwater. but any are back out here looking for this missing man who ran away from officers following a traffic stop. alex savidge, ktvu channel 2 news. the national rifle association is standing by its controversial proposal to put armed guards at schools nationwide. the ceo says any new efforts by congress to regulate guns will not prevent mass shootings in the phut chew ur-- in the future. >> no more guns! no more guns! >> rallies continue across the country calling for stricter regulations on guns. this is what it looked like on the [rin -- on the brooklyn bridge. people gathered to remember everybody killed at sandy hook elementary school. they are hoping their message is heard at the nation's --

nation's capital. there's been a petition started for piers morgan to be deported. he called a man unblifferrably stupid -- unbelievably stupid for obing gun rights -- for advocating gun rights. police in richmond say he have seen a big decrease in the number of homicides. 18 people have been killed in the city which is down from 45 three years ago. many people are crediting law enforcement and a community effort to stop violence after the city declared a state of emergency after a deadly summer

in 2005. state and local law enforcement cracking down on drunk drivers this holiday season here in the bay area the chp reports three fatal crashes and 111 drunk driver arrests. that's despite having to cancel a planned dui checkpoint in fremont last night because of the heavy rain. instead officers were put out in patrol on the roads to find drivers who were a danger to themselves or others. >> a lot of people are involved in collisions because they may have a little bit of alcohol on board and they are driving bay over the speed limit. >> now, so far this year, there have been 15 fatal crashes ash the state. that's five times as high as last year at this point. but the chp says the rain may to be blame for that increase. they say that deaths relate to the drunk driving in general

have steadily been dropping in california for the last few years. pg&e is offering $550 million in the deadly san bruno explosion back in 2010. the san francisco chronicle reports the money would pay for state regulatory charges. but they will not admit to safety brachs fearing a criminal charge. so government consumer groups turned down the deal. eight people died and homes were destroyed in the explosion. california safed nearly $250 million by requiring state lawmakers to drive their own cars. legislators are reimbursed for the miles they drive on official business. until last december, the state paid to lease cars for them. the sacramento bee reports the savings came because they drove fewer miles and some did not ask to be reimbursed. facebook is accused of dodging taxes. accounts filed indicate that

facebook fun. led millions of dollars into -- fun. ed millions of dollars into -- funneled millions of dollars into ireland. the prelude to the lord of the rix movie is still the -- lord of rings movie is still the most popular in theaters. ♪ >> "tiny hobbit" is running circles around some of the biggest hollywood names. it remains number one at the weekend box office. it made more than twice as much as the debut of jack reacher. this is 40, rise to the guardians and lincoln round out the top five. 8:51. we're tracking santa. >> it's stillerty on the -- early -- it's still early on the west coast. he's already started his journey. how military technology is helping track santa on his big

day. it might be light because it's christmas. look at that, the taupe -- the toll plaza. but we'll check in on any trouble spots when we come back.

there's a christmas spectacular and pam -- in pam and myself's hometown. check this out. it features 35,000 holiday lights an almost every inch of the home is covered in

decorations. they have set this display for several years. they said their electricity bill for december is $1,000. >> wow. the monterey bay aquarium has a new attracttion. a loggerhead sea turtle will soon be on display. right now, the 4-month-old is getting used to its feeding rue clean. the -- routine. they will announce when this will be turned into an exhibit. it will be eventually released back into the wild. if you still have christmas shopping to do, you are not alone. brian flores will be out there. [laughter] >> the national retail federation shows 10% of all americans say they will still be in the malls today. some shoppers say they like the energy of shopping right up until the last minute. others say they hate the crowds. but they just couldn't get to the stores any time sooner. it turns out shoes are money of the -- are one of the most popular gifts. shoppers say shoes are one gift they know that will be used and the sizes are unlikely to rank.

footwear ranks fifth on the list of the most popular gifts this year. they weren't in the top ten last year. some shoppers like giving something that's a bit extravagant but practical. santa has begun his journey around the world. norad tracks santa every year. here is a look at where he is now and the gifts. do we know where he is at now? >> where is? >> we don't know. he's somewhere. he's moving very fast. he was in china a few hours ago. norad has partnered with the mapping service to show the stops around the world. >> and misspoke earlier. i said yahoo was the finance company of the year. it is actually yahoo voted the gap as the top finance company of the years. let's check in with tara. >> that's right. in free -- fremont. this is at a housing

development at mallory and peralta. it happened last night at 7:00. this tree landed on top of worse cars. crews have removed -- two cars. crews removed most of it. but it is taking extra time. if you have storm photos, tweet them to us at ktvu. at the bay bridge toll plaza, no traffic at all. it will probably look like this tomorrow. but the day after christmas not likely because of all of the sales. so be prepared. 280 at the 880 split, no delays. we're try today. we'll be et -- we're dry today. we'll be wet tomorrow. we continue to watch minor flooding at the russian river. moderate take at guerneville. cresting a little bit. there's your extended forecast, we're dry today. rain tenning tomorrow throughout the everyone -- continuing through tomorrow. the rain won't be as much or as

bad. and then we dry out thursday into the weekend. and then you pull out the bikes and skates. >> even by wednesday. >> oh, good. well, thank you. >> all right. >> thank you for joining us here on this christmas eve. brian is gonna take a little nap and be here for the noon news. we'll have more then. >> yes, i will be here. >> thank you for trusting us at ktvu. we'll see you the next time news breaks and also at noon for the news.